Electric fire



Dec. 12, 1933. N. M. BELL 1,939,331

ELECTRIC FIRE Filed Nov. 8. 1930 Fig. 2.

Patented Dec. 12, 1933 PATENT orrlca l ELECTRIC Finn v Norman Mindham Bell, Northampton, England Application November' 8, 1,930, Serial No, 494,273, and in Great Britain November 12, 1929 1 Claim.

This invention relates to the incorporating of electric vfire elements into` a faience and/or the surround and/or mantel slabbedin cement `or other material; the arrangement would be com- 51 monly known as a built-in fire.

The'objects of the inventionvare .to provide an electric fire such that a tile or faience mantel or surround can be sent out or suppliedV with the fire in one unit, ready for fixing, and to so conj struct or arrange the parts that a tile or faience mantel with return ends fitted with the fire can be xed to a flat wall without any recess in the brickwork being necessary. In my. invention, also, the factor of danger will to a very great extent be eliminated, since rall bolts and other' metal used in the construction will be embedded in the cement or other material used for slabbing.

According to the invention I prepare a fire opening in the tile mantel or surround of a suitable size to receive one or `more element bars of any suitable or standard width or pattern. The necessary number of bolts or the like are let into the cement or other backing of the tile or faience work,` for the purpose of fixing the elements in position. These elements may either be secured directly to the backing or carried by a form of sub-frame or the like; they may be wired in the usual manner, and are preferably connected through a porcelain terminal block, which may also be xed in a position somewhere below the element bars and approximately in line with the switches, which, in the case of a tile or faience mantel with return ends, are preferably fitted fon the return end on either side, as may be found most convenient.

A space may be .left below the elements, this' space being filled with a faience or other fret or trivet, which may be loose and removable for the purpose of inspecting the wiring or replacing any part of the fire at any time.

The cement backing of the replacemay `be boxed out around the fire parts to a sufficientl depth from back to front to give them protection and to give suicient hand room for removing and replacing any part. This boxed backing is preferably closed at the back by means of a sheet of asbestos-cement, or other material.

The fireplace preferably stands on a raised hearth, but an ordinary low hearth may be used if desired.V If a raised hearth is used, however, the flexible insulated or. other wire from the main may be unobtrusively introduced through and under the raised hearth to the terminal block.

In further describing this invention reference (Cl. 21S- 34) Will be had to the accompanying sheet of drawing which illustrates a suitable method of carrying my said invention into effect. Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation through an electric fireplace on line of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of such a fireplace.

Figure 3 is an elevation showing this application of the invention from the back of the fireplace.

Referring to the drawing I provide a tile or other surround 1 the opening in which may be f returned on the inside and/or may have secured thereto a suitable cement or other boxing or the like p as previously described; I may mount element bars e on a sub-frame or the like which may consist of two vertical metal strips d to which the element bars e may be bolted or otherwise secured.- The upper ends of the metal strips may be arranged to pass in front of a horizontal cross bar c which is preferably carried at either end by being let into the cement boxing p on thesurround. The lower extremities of the vertical strips may be arranged to engage bolts or the like which are projecting from and secured to the cement boxing p, said strips being held in position by wing or other nuts w. A porcelain terminal block 7' may be kcarried by a further horizontal bar o which is preferably carried by the lower portions of the aforesaid vertical strips, from whence the current is conducted through terminals h and connecting Wires g to terminals t on the element bars e suitable switches s being disposed in the circuit, the switch-box k for which, in the case of a tile surround having a return end may as illustrated, be placed on the inside of said return. The feed wires m from the main may be passed through recesses or cut away portions in the hearth v or a wall plug may be provided at the back of the fireplace.

Imay if necessary provide a ventilator a above the element bars e in order to convey convected heat rising from the said element bars e, a space f beingprovided above the said element bars e for the purpose of creating an air current. A preferably detachable faience or other fret or trivet l may be incorporated which may if neces-A sary be perforated for the purpose of forming an air current in lieu of the space f aforementioned. The whole of the back of the fireplace surrounded' by the cement boxing may be covered or encased by a sheet b of asbestos, metal or other material, secured in position by screws or bolts n.

When it is desired to withdraw the element bars and sub-frame for examination or replacement, the trivetl is removed, and the wing nuts w 1,10

2 removed; thel Whole of the sub-frame and its ttings can then be drawn downwards and forwards through the re opening in the front of the tile or other surround; the various connecting wires may be suitably coiled to enable this operaftion to be carried out Without disconnecting them from their terminals.

It will be understood that I do not Wish to limit the use of my invention to a flat surround having returned ends. as it is capable ofr being applied to flat recessedA and splayed surrounds fitting into mantels or any convenient replace openings. The invention can also be employed in connection with inset res.

I claim:

A built-in-electric hearth, comprising a lireplace surround, a boxed backing disposed rearwardly of said surround, a horizontal bar having its ends secured in the opposite side Walls of said backing, a vertical frame disposed Within the backing and resting at is upper end against said horizontal bar, means for releasably securing the vlower end of said frame to said backing, electric heating4 elements and their associated terminals, a terminal `block and lead wires mounted on said frame, said replace surround having an aperture smaller than the front area of the backing andrin which aperture the heating elements arer rac 

